


The Naming of Cats

by marywhale



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Cats, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Post-Canon, and also their names, and how taako and kravitz came to own them, sometimes you just need to write about cute cats, their names are very important
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-11-12 16:20:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18014210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marywhale/pseuds/marywhale
Summary: Taako rescues a cat from the rain. Kravitz thinks it could use a friend.





	The Naming of Cats

**Author's Note:**

  * For [anonymousAlchemist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonymousAlchemist/gifts).



> Happy (belated) birthday to anonymousAlchemist! The cats featured below are half her creations so all due credit for the boys. The title of the fic is from T. S. Eliot's [The Naming of Cats](http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/t__s__eliot/poems/15121).

Taako’s on the way home from the farmer’s market, trying to beat the rain threatening to fall, when he hears a yowl — a surprised cat — and a crash like a garbage can falling over from the alley he’s passing. His bag is heavy with produce — being the saviour of the multiverse nets you a hell of a discount if you play your cards right — and he’s halfway through an artisanal pizza roll, but he still stops walking. Strange sounds from dark alleys aren’t _normally_ his thing, but a second, more pitiful _meow_ echoes down the alley to where he’s standing and… well… It sounds _sad_. Hungry. Taako’s been there.

Plus he just saved a fuckload of gold on the price of rhubarb so he’s in a good mood.

Taako turns down the alley. There’s an overturned garbage can a dozen or so feet away. He edges towards it cautiously, holding a hand loose at his side in case he needs to cast a spell and fend off an agro raccoon or something.

“Hey, uh, alley cat?” He feels stupid for saying it as soon as it’s out of his mouth — if there _is_ a cat what is it going to do, say hi back? — but rushing in after loud noises is usually Magnus’s thing. Taako’s exploring new territory here. “You good?”

There’s a skittering sound from behind the garbage can and a black cat with a white chest and white spots on its face comes into view as it backs away from Taako. It’s wide-eyed and trembling, tail curled under its body, obviously _terrified_ out of its mind.

It’s starting to rain, and the droplets falling on top of the cat do nothing to shift its focus from Taako.

Taako, who feels a pang of sympathy looking at the too skinny cat. It’s obviously feral — there’s no way a cat that belonged to someone would be out here scrounging in garbage cans — and maybe Taako’s got a secret soft spot for cats. They’re cute. Independant. Single-minded. Affectionate once you’ve _earned_ their affection. He doesn’t have _time_ for a pet because he’s _Taako_ , you know, from TV? He’s got a magic school, an media empire, and an Angus. He’s _busy_. But if he were going to get a pet it definitely wouldn’t be a _dog_.

Taako looks at the cat, frozen in place behind the garbage can, slowly getting damp. He looks at the sausage and cheese pizza roll in his hand. Pizza rolls probably aren’t part of a cat’s recommended diet, but _garbage_ sure fuckin’ isn’t either.

Taako fishes a pieces of sausage out of the roll and crouches down, holding it out towards the cat.

“Okay,” he says. “Okay, I know you’re probably a _little_ suspicious of my motivations here, my dude, but you look hungry and it’s starting to rain. At least let me give you something decent to eat.”

The cat doesn’t move.

“It’s good.” Taako feels dumb talking to a random feral cat, but he’s started now. He’ll feel worse if he just leaves without feeding it. “Seriously, I paid five gold for this. The crust’s kind of overbaked, but it’s decent filling. Do you eat pork? Maybe you don’t eat pork.”

The cat isn’t running away from him, which is probably a good sign. It’s eyes track Taako’s hand and the sausage so it seems like _conceptually_ the cat is into this.

Taako leans forward and puts the piece of sausage on the ground, then settles back to wait, still crouched in place. “Look, now you don’t have to take it from my hand. You can just get a snack and bolt.”

Magnus would probably know how to coax an animal to eat food. Taako wishes the whole talking-to-animals thing had transferred to other planes of existence. “Seriously, is garbage really a better option?” Taako’s not sure what cats eat — fish? His bag is all produce and fancy goat cheese right now, none of which seems like it would appeal to a cat, but he’s _committed_ to this now.

Taako turns his attention to his tote bag. Magnus’s dogs eat cheese so maybe the cat will be down with artisanal goat cheese. Almost as Taako starts rooting in his bag fo the cheese, he hears the sound of small paws padding on damp stone. He looks up out of the corner of his eye, and there’s the cat, wary as all fuck, sniffing at the bit of sausage.

The cat gives it a cautious lick, then gobbles it up.

Taako stops playing with his bag and very slowly extracts another piece of sausage from his pizza roll, setting it down halfway between himself and the cat. “Smart boy,” he says. “Being _suspicious_. I get it. You don’t know what people want from you, huh?”

The cat looks at the sausage, then up at Taako. It moves closer, bending down to eat the sausage chunk and then dancing back and away.

Taako is… charmed. The cat is cautious in a way that _maybe_ reminds Taako of the way he and Lup were as kids. The way he was when he forgot Lup. Suspicious of everyone’s motivations, not believing good things could happen without any strings attached.

Taako takes out another piece of sausage and sets it down closer this time. He’s going to run out of pizza roll to share sooner rather than later, but fuck it — he can _make_ pizza rolls for himself if he wants one. This cat doesn’t have the luxury of being a chef and a wizard.

It creeps closer again, sniffing the air, eyes on Taako as it gets near him and then snatches up the sausage. Taako pulls out a fourth chunk — his last — out of the roll and holds it out to the cat, waiting.

The cat hesitates and for a moment Taako thinks he’s pushed it too far, trying to get the cat to eat out of his hand, but then it moves closer and eats the sausage from Taako’s hand, licking his fingers with its rough tongue. The cat looks up at Taako with big, yellow eyes, and then rubs its head against Taako’s hand like it’s saying _thanks_.

Taako stares back down at the scared, skinny, dirty alley cat, rubbing against his hand, all grateful and touch-starved, and makes a decision.

“Well, fuck,” Taako says. It’s _raining_ and the cat is small and hungry. Taako can’t _leave_ it out here. “Guess you’re coming home with me now.”

He leans forward to scoop the cat up in his arms, expecting a struggle — _definitely_ some scratching and more yowling — but after a tense moment, the cat goes limp in Taako’s arms. It goes limp, but it feels less like the cat is relaxed and more like it’s _resigned_ , which makes Taako cuddle the cat closer to his chest and give it a scratch behind the ears. “Sorry,” he says. “Sorry, cat, but it’s going to get gross out here and it’s _cold_. You can come stay the night and then leave in the morning, okay? It’s cool, I’m not going to hurt you.”

Taako’s not used to being this gentle about things, but the cat is _trembling_ and not fighting him at all. Taako feels like it should be screaming its head off, not _this_.

He keeps petting the cat as he gets back to his feet. Taako leaves the alley and the cat, in his arms, stops shaking as Taako carries it down the street, towards his and Kravitz’s apartment building. After a moment, the cat lets out a cautious, croaky purr.

Taako stops walking and looks down at the cat in surprise. “ _Oh_ ,” he says. “You’re a _nice_ boy.”

Well, Taako guesses he can make time for a pet after all.

#

When Kravitz steps through the rift from the astral plane directly to his and Taako’s penthouse apartment, it takes him a moment to parse what he’s seeing — Taako’s on the floor with a little black lump of fur on his lap. Taako’s stroking the lump, looking utterly charmed.

The lump, which is purring, because it’s a _cat_.

“Taako?” Today was farmer’s market day, which is usually a joint adventure but Kravitz, Lup, and Barry had a break in the case they’re working — a cult intent on resurrecting their dead leader — and he had to miss their weekly trip.

Kravitz will admit he doesn’t know the farmer’s market as well as Taako does, but he’s pretty sure he’d remember if there was a stall selling cats.

Taako looks up at Kravitz, grinning. “We have a cat now.”

“I see that,” Kravitz says because, yes, that’s definitely a cat. He’s not sure what to ask first — where did Taako get the cat? Why? How long has Taako wanted a pet? He doesn’t object to it, but he does feel like maybe they should have had a conversation first.

“I found him,” says Taako, and then he picks up the cat and holds him out to Kravitz. The cat allows himself to be held, hanging from Taako’s hands and blinking calmly up at Kravitz. He’s not all black — the cat has a white stomach and chin too. He looks very docile. “His name is Kravitz Jr.”

All the questions Kravitz has about how Taako _found_ a cat and whether they should be looking for its owners immediately leave his mind. “No it is _not_.”

“Is though.” Taako grins up at Kravitz over the cat’s head. “He’s a nice boy in a tuxedo. Bones, it’s _you_!”

“It’s _not_ ,” says Kravitz. “It’s a cat.”

“It’s our cat,” says Taako. “Our _son_. His name is Kravitz Jr.”

“ _Taako_.”

Taako sets the cat down on the floor and it crawls back into his lap. “He _loves_ me,” Taako says, sounding utterly delighted. “A nice boy who loves me in a suit. He’s just like you.”

Kravitz can’t exactly argue that those characteristics _don’t_ apply to him too, but still. “Where did you _get_ him?”

“The alley,” says Taako, going back to petting the cat. “He was homeless, but he’s _so_ nice. We’ve _got_ to keep him. He’s my boy now.”

Taako does look very happy. Kravitz is surprised, honestly. Other than Garyl — whose existence is always very temporary — Taako isn’t really a fan of animals or of being a caretaker in general. He tolerates Magnus’s dogs in a way that makes it clear he does _not_ want to take up Magnus on the offer to adopt one. He outsources watering the plants Merle keeps giving them to Kravitz. They have a whole room set aside for Angus to stay in, when he visits, that Taako insists on calling the _guest room_ , even though Angus has posters up on the wall and most of his Caleb Cleveland collection on the shelves. When Taako cares about people he cares deeply, but he’s guarded about who he shows his soft side to. Coaxing a feral cat into their apartment and bonding with it isn’t something Kravitz would have predicted — especially since Taako’s never previously mentioned _wanting_ a cat.

On other hand, everything about Taako’s body language as he pets the scrawny cat in his lap speaks to Taako being very deeply invested in his new pet.

“Of course we’re keeping him if you want him, Taako,” he says, “but his name _can’t_ be Kravitz Jr.”

The cat in Taako’s lap looks up and lets out a _mrrp_ of acknowledgement.

Kravitz pauses, glancing down at the cat. This isn’t happening. He _refuses_.

“Kravitz Jr,” he says again, testing, and the cat answers him with a soft meow.

Taako’s expression is _gleeful_. “ _See?_ ” he says. “It’s his _name_. He _recognizes_ it.”

The more time Kravitz spends in the material plane, the more human characteristics he picks back up. Heartbeats and blood flow, an appetite for food — for the most part they’ve been pleasant adaptations. Right now, he can feel a headache coming on.

“Have you been sitting here calling him Kravitz Jr. since you brought him home?” Kravitz asks, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“No,” says Taako, in a way that definitely means yes. “Isn’t he cute?”

Kravitz Jr. is looking up at Taako with adoration plain on his little face. It _is_ cute, even if Kravitz’s boyfriend is terrible.

“You’re terrible,” Kravitz says, sitting down on the floor across from Taako.

“You love me.” Taako grins at Kravitz. “Hold out your hand for him to sniff. You’re going to love him too.”

Kravitz does as he’s told, holding his hand out for Kravitz Jr. to sniff. Taako’s right about Kravitz loving him. He’s sure Taako will be right about Kravitz loving their new cat too.

#

Kravitz may not like Kravitz Jr.’s name, but he takes to Kravitz Jr. himself quickly. Kravitz Jr. is affectionate, calm, and very fond of Taako. Kravitz doesn’t know a lot about animals, but he’s pretty sure Kravitz Jr.’s easy acceptance of his transition from living on the streets to being a housecat means he was a pet before. Within his first week of living with Taako and Kravitz, he’s happily accepting Taako spoiling him rotten with new toys, treats, kibble, and thoroughly researched homemade snacks, perfectly balance to be good for Kravitz Jr.’s overall health. He follows Taako around the apartment like a little black and white shadow, perching on the stools at their kitchen island to watch Taako cook. He’s soft-spoken with a purr that sounds like a broken motor. It’s hard to imagine anyone abandoning Kravitz Jr.

Kravitz watches Kravitz Jr. padding down the hall after Taako, as Taako gets ready to leave for work, and _maybe_ feels some kinship with him. Taako’s easy to love. He gets it.

“Okay, cha’boy’s off,” Taako says, stopping in front of Kravitz as he digs around in his bag. “I’m gonna grab some takeout from the Japanese place on my way home. Will you grab some more treats for Krav Jr. from the store? The fresh turkey ones. You need cash?”

“I’ve got money,” Kravitz says, defensively. “I’ve been getting better at money.”

Taako stops looking through his bag and raises an eyebrow at Kravitz. “Money that doesn’t belong in a museum?”

He pays pays for dinner with ancient coins from a long-dead civilization _one time_ and this is what he gets for it. It’s unfair. It’s been a long time since Kravitz had to worry about _buying_ things. It’s easy to lose track of how financial systems work when you never have to use them.

Also, Taako is right. Kravitz has gold pieces, but they’re three hundred years out of date. They’re still _gold_ , though. He doesn’t see why their age should matter.

Kravitz’s silence speaks for itself.

“Thought so,” says Taako, triumphantly. He pulls a few silver coins out of his bag, dropping them in Kravitz’s lap. “I’ll be home around six.” Taako leans down and pressed a kiss to Kravitz’s lips. “Love you.”

“Love you too,” Kravitz says, smiling. It’s hard to stay annoyed when Taako’s right and Kravitiz is getting kissed. “See you tonight.”

“Keep an eye on him for me,” Taako says, to Kravitz Jr., bending down to give him a pat. “No casinos or he’ll gamble away all the silver I just gave him.”

“ _Taako_.”

Taako glances at Kravitz, grinning. “It’s true,” he says, giving Kravitz Jr. one last scratch behind the ears before straightening. “Later, Bones. Have fun with our boy.”

Kravitz Jr. follows Taako to the door and seems disappointed when Taako closes the door before he can follow him outside. Kravitz really doesn’t want to think about how familiar the longing set of Kravitz Jr.’s shoulders looks. He is _not_ their cat.

He pockets the silver pieces as he gets up from the couch. “I’m going to get you more treats today, which I think means you can have what’s left now,” Kravitz says, crossing the open-floor plan kitchen-living room to snag the bag of expensive cat treats from the fridge to try and distract Kravitz Jr. They’re made fresh with a short shelf-life and Taako decided they were the right treats for Kravitz Jr. because “we’re _rich_ , Krav, of _course_ we’re going to spoil our boy.”

Kravitz sticks a couple treats on a saucer and carries them over to Kravitz Jr. Taako’s out, so there’s no one to make fun of him when he sits down on the floor next to their cat, holding out the plate. “Taako will be back before you know it, I promise.”

Kravitz Jr. sniffs the treats delicately, giving one a tentative lick before turning his attention back to the door. He’s a nice cat, but he’s definitely _Taako’s_ cat.

“You _love_ these when Taako feeds them to you,” Kravitz says.

Kravitz Jr. looks up at him, and his yellow eyes seem to say _sure, but you’re not Taako._

“That’s fair,” Kravitz says, and sets the plate down beside Kravitz Jr., getting to his feet. The cat can snack on the treats when he’s hungry. Kravitz doesn’t need to push him and he’s got paperwork to do while Taako is out. Kravitz’s schedule is more flexible now, but people never stop dying, and necromancers never stop trying to defy the laws of nature. There are _always_ reports to be filed. He sets an alarm on his Stone of Farspeech to remind him to leave the house and pick up treats, then settles down at the coffee table and summons his files.

Kravitz loses himself in it. It’s easy to do — centuries working as a Reaper have turned writing reports into something almost meditative, and without Taako around to remind him to eat, it’s easy to forget about things like the passage of time. He doesn’t notice how caught up he is in his work until the alarm goes off are four.

Kravitz stretches and gets to his feet, looking around for Kravitz Jr., who’s probably napping somewhere comfortable, living the life a cat was meant to lead, except — no.

Kravitz Jr. is waiting by the door, right where Kravitz left him. His treats are untouched even though it’s been _hours_.

“Kravitz Jr.?”

The cat’s ears flick back at the sound of his name, but he stays facing the door. He looks like he’s standing vigil for Taako, waiting for him to return from work.

Kravitz rubs a hand over the back of his neck, walking over to the cat and staring down at him in concern. “Taako’s coming back. He’ll be back in a couple hours.”

Kravtiz Jr. looks up at the sound of Taako’s name. He extends a paw towards the front door and lets out a quiet, plaintive _mew_. He sounds sad. He sounds _lonely._

Kravitz leans down to pet him. “It won’t be long,” he says, even though Kravitz Jr. is a cat and Kravitz knows he can’t understand the concept of _soon_ or _two hours_ or probably anything else about the linear progression of time. Kravitz glances at his Stone of Farspeech, contemplating calling Taako, but Taako would probably laugh and tell him not to worry if he did. Kravitz Jr. will have to get used to being home alone. Kravitz works a lot and Taako doesn’t go into the school every day, but he’s got a job too — not to mention Taako’s boy’s weekends with Magnus and Merle. He and Kravitz won’t always be around to keep Kravitz Jr. company.

Kravitz still doesn’t want to leave him for the half hour it’ll take to run to the store and back to get the treats. He sits down beside Kravitz Jr. instead, picking him up and putting him on his lap, so Kravitz can scratch him behind the ears and try to soothe his anxiety. “I promise he’s coming back,” he says. “But we can wait here together until he get home.”

#

Kravitz Jr. realizes Taako is home before Kravitz. He perks up in his lap, rousing Kravitz from the meditative half-dose he’d settled into, and then wiggles free so he can stick his nose right up against the opening of the door as Taako unlocks it.

“You’re going to get hit,” Kravitz says, watching Kravitz Jr. jump back as the door swings open. “ _Careful_ , Kravitz Jr.”

“Krav?”

Kravitz pauses in his admonishment, looking up at Taako instead. Taako’s holding a bag from the _good_ Japanese place and looks very amused to arrive home to find Kravitz sitting on the floor with their cat. “Hi, love,” he says. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

“I see that.” Kravitz Jr. rubs against Taako’s legs, winding around his feet like Taako just returned home from a month away, not just a few hours. Kravitz can hear him purring. Taako leans down to give him a pat. “ _Why_ are you waiting for me beside the door?”

“Kravitz Jr. seemed lonely,” Kravitz says. “He missed you.”

Taako gives Kravitz Jr. the same smitten grin he had on his face when he first brought him home. “Of course he did,” he says. “I’m _Taako_. Did you get his treats? He deserves fresh treats for waiting so patiently.”

Right. The treats. “I’ll go grab them now.” Kravitz gets to his feet, straightening out his wrinkled trousers. He’s covered in cat hair, but that’s nothing a quick cantrip won’t fix. “I didn’t want to leave Kravitz Jr. alone.”

“I’ve got dinner,” Taako says, holding up the bag in his hand. “We can wait for tomorrow.”

“No, it’s fine.” Kravitz leans in to give Taako a peck on the cheek. “I’ll open a rift. It’ll only take a second and it’s my fault he doesn’t have any treats left.”

“Okay, but go _fast_.” Taako sets the takeout down on the kitchen island. “I’m going to start eating without you and if you take too long, Kravitz Jr. is gonna get your fish.”

“I’ll be fast,” Kravitz promises, summoning his scythe. He cuts open a rift to an alley a block away from the fancy pet store where Taako buys Kravitz Jr.’s treats, then steps through. It seals behind him and Kravitz banishes his scythe. Taako will _absolutely_ feed their cat his chūtoro so he doesn’t waste time striding out onto the street, towards the shop.

Fanciful Familiars advertises itself as a _boutique_ pet shopping experience. Taako had stepped inside Fantasy PetSmart, looked around, and declared it wanting. Fanciful Familiars handcrafts fresh food specifically formulated to help pet health, and as soon as Taako walked into the store, Belinda, the half-elf owner, was falling over herself to offer him everything Kravitz Jr. could possibly desire. It’s been a week and a half and Taako’s got her eating out of the palm of his hand.

“Kravitz!” she says, perking up when Kravitz walks into the shop, her eyes searching the empty doorway behind him for Taako. “Here on your own?”

“Taako asked me to pick up some treats for the cat,” Kravitz says, because he hasn’t yet been able to say the name _Kravitz Jr._ in front of someone who isn’t Taako. His boyfriend is… terrible. “Just a quick trip.”

Belinda visibly deflates. “Of course,” she says. “Do you need help finding them?”

Kravitz knows Taako is usually personally escorted to any product he’s interested in — he’s fairly certain Taako usually gets _tea_ for stopping by — but he’s not going to take Belinda’s disappointment personally. He’s supposed to be moving quickly. “Thank you, Belinda, I’ll be all right.”

Belinda makes to move to insist on helping. Honestly, Kravitz finds her indifference to him when he’s not with Taako kind of endearing. She knows who and what she wants, and it’s definitely not Kravitz.

Fanciful Familiars is in an old building in the upscale part of Neverwinter. It’s got wooden floors, soft lighting, and a small refrigerated food section in the back of the store, next to a carefully curated selection of adoptable pets. Kravitz doesn’t know much more about animals than he does about money, but he assumes they’re all as fancy as the name of Belinda’s shop implies. Generally his experience of the store involves carrying things for Taako and trying to follow the in-depth conversations Taako and Belinda have about how she makes her pet food.

He walks to the back of the store, past the available pets, and retrieves a package of turkey cat treats from the fridge. He’s going to be in and out, just as promised — home before Taako can decides to feed his tuna to Kravitz Jr. Kravitz turns to head to the cash to pay and go home and is interrupted by the loudest meow he’s ever heard — a demanding _look at me_ meow from the pet display beside him.

He turns and there, in one of the glass-fronted cages, is the smallest, fluffiest kitten Kravitz has ever seen. He’s cream and tan with blue eyes and a pink nose. He’s got his front paws up on the glass and he’s staring Kravitz down, determined. He opens his tiny mouth and meows again — just as loud and insistent as the first time, like he’s got something he really needs to say.

Kravitz takes a step towards the window and the kitten paws at the glass, letting out another demanding _mrow._

“Pan protect us,” Belinda says, walking over from the front of the store. “Don’t mind him, Kravitz. He’s just being greedy. He’s yelling at you because he wants the treats.”

Kravitz glances down at the bag in his hand and then at the kitten again. He’s _very_ small. His tail is like a little triangle, sticking straight up behind him.

Kravitz Jr. is lonely.

“Is he adoptable?”

Belinda gives Kravitz a surprised look. “Are you and Taako in the market for a second cat?”

Right. Kravitz definitely _should_ Taako how he feels about getting Kravitz Jr. a friend, but given the way Taako dotes on him, Kravitz has a hard time believing he’d say no. “Yes,” he says. “We both work and he’s very attached to Taako. I think it would be good for him to have another a friend.”

Belinda would probably prefer to have this conversation with Taako. She still smiles at Kravitz and pulls out a wand from her skirt pocket, tapping it on the glass to open up the cage. “He’s adoptable.” The kitten tries to get out _immediately_. Belinda catches him before he can fall, cupping her hands around his small body as the kitten wiggles like he’s trying to make a break for freedom and also treats. “Do you want to hold him?”

Kravitz absolutely does. “He’s so _small_ ,” he says, setting the treats in his hand down in the kitten’s open cage so Belinda can give him the cat. “Does he have a name?”

“Not yet,” she says. “You can —” Belinda’s cut off by the cat letting out another meow, even louder without the glass barrier in the way. “— name him if you decide to take him home.”

She transfers the kitten to Kravitz and the cat blinks up at him for a moment, then immediately starts trying to crawl up his arm, letting out little chirps like he’s scolding Kravitz for putting the treats down. He’s _purring_ too, underneath the kitten chit-chat, and when Kravitz pulls the kitten off his arm and rubs a thumb over his tiny head, the purr ticks up in volume and the kitten relaxes.

He’s cute and loud and very into food. Kravitz doesn’t really have a choice. He turns to Belinda, holding the kitten close to his chest. “How do you feel about being paid in antique gold?”

#

Taako’s halfway through his dinner when Kravitz _finally_ makes it back from the pet store, half an hour later. Belinda makes it hard to do an in-and-out trip, Taako’s not really surprised she trapped him — Taako _waited_ to eat and everything. He lasted twenty minutes before he got hungry.

He bites into a slice of tempura yam and raises an eyebrow at Kravitz, who’s holding a hand behind his back like a guilty schoolboy. “Quick trip, huh?”

“I got distracted,” Kravitz says, walking up to the kitchen island, where Taako’s laid out a feast for them. Kravitz Jr. is sitting on the stool beside him, keeping Taako company but not trying to eat any of the expensive fish on offer because he’s an absurdly good cat. “I, uh, have something for you.”

Taako raises his eyebrows. “From the pet store? Is it for me or for Krav Jr.?”

“Both,” Kravitz says, after a brief pause. “It’s — well, here.”

Kravitz extends his hand with a flourish and it takes Taako a moment to realize what he’s holding, but then what he’s holding _meows_ and Kravitz Jr. perks up beside him and Taako realizes that Kravitz went to get cat treats and came home with a _cat_ instead.

A tiny, fuzzy, _adorable_ cat with a loud, loud voice.

The kitten looks very pleased with himself, hanging out in Kravitz’s hand. Like he knows exactly how devastatingly cute he is.

“Oh my _god_ ,” Taako says, putting down his chopsticks so he can take the kitten from Kravitz. “He’s like a plush toy.”

“Belinda says if he and Kravitz Jr. don’t get along, she’ll rehome him,” Kravitz says, as if Taako’s boy would ever antagonize a kitten. “She said we’ll have to pick up some more stuff for him, but I thought — I liked him.”

Taako should tease Kravitz for falling for a pretty face, but he gets it. The kitten is like the platonic ideal of what a kitten should be — tiny paws and all. “Kravitz Jr. is _saint_ ,” he says. “He’ll be fine. Right?” Taako holds the kitten out for Kravitz Jr. to inspect and Kravitz Jr. sniffs at the cat warily. The kitten blinks up at Kravitz Jr., just as cautious, and then meows at him too.

Kravitz Jr. leans back, looking at Taako like he maybe has _some_ doubts about the new addition, and Taako snort in amusement. “Yeah, he’s good with the new boy. What’s new boy’s name?”

The silence that follows the question is _triumphant_. Taako looks up at Kravitz, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. “It’s _not_ Taako Jr.,” he says. “You can’t do my bit.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Kravitz says, lying through his teeth. “Even if he’s cute, loud, fond of me, and likes food. It would be too confusing to have _both_ cats named after us.”

“I don’t trust you.” Taako sets the kitten down on the island. “What did you name him?”

“Not Taako Jr.” Kravitz looks _very_ pleased with himself. “He’s named after your favourite food,” he says. “He’s named _Taco_.”

“I fuckin’ knew it,” says Taako, getting to his feet. “Uh-uh, no way, Bones. We’re not naming —” Taako glances down at the kitten and cuts himself off because in the thirty seconds he’s been on the counter, the kitten has found Taako’s tempura and started helping himself to a deep-fried prawn. “Cat Taco, _no_!”

Kravitz laughs, leaning over to scoop up the kitten, who immediately voices his protest at being stopped from eating a shrimp almost as long as he is. “Okay,” he says. “We’ll go with _Cat_ Taco then.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this story, please leave a kudos and comment! I appreciate them a lot. <3
> 
> Come say hello over on tumblr, where I have too many feelings about domestic Taakitz and go by [@marywhal](http://marywhal.tumblr.com).


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